Coming up in the Commons 7-9 November

Monday 6 November  

Parliament is prorogued ahead of the State Opening. 

Prorogation is the formal name given to the period between the end of a session of Parliament and the State Opening of Parliament that begins the next session. Find out more here. 

Tuesday 7 November 

The State Opening will begin at 9.30am when the Yeomen of the Guard, the royal bodyguards, ceremonially search the cellars of the Palace of Westminster for explosives. This commemorates the ‘gunpowder plot' of 1605 – a failed attempt by English Catholics to blow up the Protestant King James I and Parliament.  

The royal procession will make its way to Parliament. An MP is ceremonially held “hostage” in Buckingham Palace while the Sovereign attends Parliament, to ensure the King’s safe return. Traditionally, this is the Vice-Chamberlain of the Household (Jo Churchill MP) - an MP whose office makes him or her officially a member of the Royal Household and, simultaneously, a junior Whip for the Government.  

Once the royal procession has arrived in the Lords, Black Rod will proceed to the Commons Chamber and summon its members to the House of Lords. Traditionally, the door of the Commons is slammed to symbolise the independence of the Commons.  

MPs will then follow Black Rod to the Lords to hear the King’s Speech (from around 11.30am).  

Commons debate on the King’s Speech  

The House will sit from 2.30pm. After introductory statements by the Speaker, the Outlawries Bill will receive its first reading. This is a purely formal proceeding where the House asserts its right to deliberate on matters of its own choosing before those proposed by the Government in the King’s Speech: no Bill is produced nor is there any debate.   

The first of six days of debate on the King’s Speech will then begin. First, MPs will agree a Motion for the Loyal Address (thanking the King for the Speech).   

The task of moving the motion is regarded as an honour and is given to two Government backbenchers. They are normally a contrasting pair with very different constituencies, one a relative newcomer and the other a long-serving Member. By convention, their speeches are not contentious and contain both humour and flattering references to their constituencies. 

The Leader of the Opposition and the Prime Minister will then speak. Debates on particular subjects (such as foreign affairs or health) will follow on subsequent days, and details will be announced on the UK Parliament website.  

At 10pm there will be an adjournment debate on dangerous driving and the unduly Lenient Sentence scheme - James Wild (Conservative, North West Norfolk) 

Interested in finding out more about the history of State Opening? Find out more in this research briefing compiled by the Commons Library.   

Wednesday 8 November 

The House will sit from 11.30am with a debate on the King’s Speech. The proposed subject for debate: Breaking down barriers to opportunity.

At 7pm there will be an adjournment debate on Football regulation - Matt Rodda (Labour, Reading East) 

Thursday 9 November  

The House will sit from 9.30am with a debate on the King’s Speech. 

At 5pm there will be an adjournment debate on funding for canals - David Morris  (Conservative, Morecambe and Lunesdale) 

Friday 10 November 

The House will not be sitting.